Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) :: essays research papers

The organization I have chosen for this essay is CSIS ( Canadian Security Intelligence Service ). CSIS closely resembles The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) or British Security Intelligence Service. I have chosen this organization because I have great interest in becoming an employee of CSIS in the future. This essay will provide brief history of CSIS, the responsibilities of CSIS for Canada, and the application process for an entry – level position. These will be further discussed in greater detail as the essay goes on. CSIS was created by the passage of an Act of Parliament ( Bill C-9 ) on June 21, 1984. The service began its formal existence on July 16, 1984. Prior to June 21, 1984, security intelligence was collected by the Security service of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Two different Commissions chaired by the Justice Mackenzie in 1969 and Justice McDonald in 1977 recommended that the security intelligence functions be separated from the RCMP and that a civilian service be formed to carry out those functions. Both commissions recognized that the problem of balancing the need for accurate and effective security intelligence with the need to respect democratic rights and freedoms could not be adequately resolved as long as security intelligence responsibilities remained part of the Federal police force. In 1970, following the report of the Mackenzie Commission, John Starnes, a Foreign Service officer with the Department of External Affairs, became the first civilian Director General of the RCMP Security Service. Although the RCMP became more flexible problem arose due to the different natures of security intelligence work and police work. In August 1981, the feral government announced that a security intelligence service, separate from the RCMP would be established. The first legislation to establish the security intelligence service, Bill C-157, â€Å" an Act to Establish the Canadian Security Intelligence Service ( CSIS )† was introduced in Parliament in May 1983. It passed by both Houses of parliament and given Royal Assent in June 1984. CSIS began its formal existence on July 16, 1984 with Ted Finn as Director. In addition to creating a civilian security intelligence service, the Cat also created SIRC, to review the activities of CSIS. CSIS is a government agency dedicated to protecting the national security interests of Canada and safeguarding its citizens. The main objective of the service is to investigate and report on threats to the security of Canada.